FIG. 18 includes side views of a medicine feeder 10 for powder medicines 6 (medicines) (see Patent Document 1, for example). FIG. 19 includes a perspective view etc. of a medicine feeder 10 for tablets 8 (medicines) (see Patent Documents 2 to 5, for example). Each of the medicine feeders 10 includes a medicine storing device 20 and a drive device 30 formed separately. When a first transmission mechanism of the medicine storing device 20 and a second transmission mechanism of the drive device 30 are brought into a fitted state with the medicine storing device 20 and the drive device 30 placed in a cooperation enabling position relative to each other, the medicine storing device 20 and the drive device 30 are coupled to each other for cooperation.
Specifically, each of the medicine storing devices 20 shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 includes a container 21 and a discharge mechanism 22. The container 21 stores therein medicines replenished when a lid is opened. The discharge mechanism 22 includes a rotary member 22A configured to be rotationally driven to discharge the medicines from a through hole in the bottom portion of the container 21. The discharge mechanism 22 is provided with a first transmission mechanism 23 operable to transmit a rotational drive force to the discharge mechanism 22. The first transmission mechanism 23 includes a fitting portion 23A. In most cases, the medicine storing device 20 uses cassettes, and is of a removable type or a movable-replaceable type.
In the removable medicine storing device 20 such as that of the medicine feeder shown in FIG. 19, the cooperation enabling position is achieved when the medicine storing device 20 is mounted to the drive device 30. In the movable-replaceable medicine storing device 20 such as that shown in FIG. 18, the cooperation enabling position is achieved when the medicine storing device 20 is closest to or faces the drive device 30. The discharge mechanism 22 may be provided in the middle of a discharge passage 24, or the discharge mechanism 22 may be partially provided in the container 21.
In order to rotationally drive the discharge mechanism 22 when the medicine storing device 20 is in the cooperation enabling position, the drive device 30 includes a motor and a second transmission mechanism 33. The motor is disposed in a casing for a control section 32. The second transmission mechanism 33 transmits a rotational drive force of the motor to the outside. The second transmission mechanism 33 includes a fitted portion to be fitted with the fitting portion of the first transmission mechanism 23. In most cases, the drive device 30 is attached to a shelf or a housing base member 31 to be stationary. A discharge sensor 34 is provided in the middle of the discharge passage or at the discharge destination to detect whether or not the medicines are discharged, measure the discharged medicines, and so forth.
When the removable medicine storing device 20 is mounted to the drive device 30 so that the two devices are brought into the cooperation enabling position, or when the movable-replaceable medicine storing device 20 is moved to cause advancing and retracting operation of the second transmission mechanism 33 of the drive device 30, the fitting portion 23A of the first transmission mechanism 23 provided to the medicine storing device 20 and the fitted portion 33A of the second transmission mechanism 33 provided to the drive device 30 are fitted with each other to enable the drive device 30 to rotationally drive the discharge mechanism 22.
In order to allow smooth insertion and extraction of the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A of the first and second transmission mechanisms 23 and 33 in each of the removable and movable-replaceable medicine feeders 10, the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A must be loosely fitted with each other with play. Therefore, the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A are not coupled to each other to be able to transmit rotation when the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A are simply fitted with each other. Thus, the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A are shaped to form a meshing structure that causes no slipping in the rotational direction between the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A. Specifically, the fitting portion 23A of the first transmission mechanism 23 includes an internally toothed gear, and the fitted portion 33A of the second transmission mechanism 33 includes an externally toothed gear to be meshed with the internally toothed gear. Consequently, when the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A are moved relative to each other in the rotational axis direction with their axes matching each other to reduce the relative distance therebetween, the fitting portion 23A and the fitted portion 33A are meshed with each other at the same time as they are fitted with each other (see FIG. 20A).